Experimental work in progress.....

This is a painting I am currently working on using acrylic paints and inks.  It is on watercolor 140# paper with many many layers of paint applied, removed, scratched off, stamped on ..and on and on.  I've cropped it to 20x20 and think it is close to being completed.  What do you think?  For now it is called Inspired    as the blocks make me think of the process of bring inspired with thoughts and ideas popping into my head

 

I need to photograph another I have completed for the winter juried show.  It sits on an easel for now waiting for a name to present itself.

 

 

 

Happy Holiday to All!!

Holiday events have kept us busy here..potlucks, boat parades, receptions and visits with friends.  Although there is no snow, and the lights wind around palm trees, it is a festive holiday atmosphere.

We are looking forward to spending time with our children and grandchildren in the north country...even snow would be welcome as long as we are all warm and cozy inside.

Here we are in 2013 at Kris's house.  All of us look about the same in 2014 except Ethan no longer has his facial hair!!

We wish all of you reading this blog a very wonder-filled Christmas, full of family, love and good things all around.  Family, friends, and good  health are blessings we appreciate and cherish.

A busy FMBAA week!! and some art.....

After collapsing on Sunday when PTB closed we slowly got back in motion here.  First to sort my studio which was piled with odds and ends from the week.  Then to dig out some project for Experimental painting for Tuesday morning.   I found three to take that have been in the works for at least two years.  Yes, that's right.  Some things come together quickly and some definitely don't.  At the end of the morning I actually signed one...but when viewed again at home I have changed my mind.  Back to work.

Meeting Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon and errands and tasks.  Finally today I have been able to frame up 5 paintings for the show receiving tomorrow.  3 are for the Ireland show and two for Fall Judged.  We will have a reception on the 23 and a discussion of that trip and sign ups for the next two.  I plan to go to Sedona with the group in April.

At last beach time on Friday afternoon, after receiving, then I am signed up to gallery sit on Saturday,  but am hoping G will do it.  Sunday I will help with the judging then stay for the demo at 4-6.  See why I call it an FMBAA week!!  Every month one week is like this.  Next week I hope to get out painting and having a bit more time for ourselves. That is after the brunch meeting here on Tuesday!

Below are the paintings I entered:

  Genesis mixed media  17x23" $500.

                              Best of Show Lee Ackert Memorial Award Winner Fall Judged Show 2014

  Dysart O'Dea   pastel/wc  NFS

  To the Beach   pastel  12x16  $300

This won an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Paint the Beach competition

  Burren Perfumery  pastel  NFS

 Liscanoor Harbor   pastel/wc NFS

Another success...whew!!

  "To the Beach"  Honorable Mention

  Mantanzas Pass II

 

These were the two pastels I was able to finish and enter in the competition.  The second one called "To the Beach" was done the second day in a bolder style stressing the strong values of the scene.  The judge liked that about it.  A cloudy day for the first one did not have strong values to depict and it is done is a very traditional style.

 

 

We are happy to have more time for other things, like laundry and shopping now, at least once I dig out from the piles here in the studio.  I plan to go to the gallery tomorrow and work on more non representational pieces that I've started.  We have a show receiving on Friday and I need two for that and 3 for the Ireland show as well.    At least two to finish and 5 to frame by that time!!

 

 

George is busy tallying the sales and expenses for his report on Wednesday.  We are down from last year and think it hurt to be in the more hidden venue rather than the tent outside the shops.  Moving the art from there to the tent was a lot of work and we don't plan to do it again.  The "Propeller Lounge" however looked great at night and the tables and bar outside in the evening were nice.  Even had a beautiful full moon rise over the bay.  Good scenery, bad sales.

 

 

And now I think a nap..have been up since 3am with very messed up schedule.  It must have been that TV interview at 5 am on Thursday!!!

Paint the Beach in Full Swing....

Check in was Monday night and went well..all but 5 checked in to begin painting Tuesday.  Kathryn Miller and I are painting buddies and went to Bowditch Park to paint at 8 am.  It was a beautiful morning and we worked away until the stiff offshore breeze forced us to stop.  I think mine is frame worthy and will post it tomorrow.   I drove around a bit taking photos of painters then came home.

This morning was a repeat but worked at the beach near Junkanoo and gallery.  It was a popular place with about 6 of us painting away.  This painting looked very different than yesterdays and may not make it to the frame.  But it was a beautiful day to be on the beach doing what we love to do..a perfect day.  I took a few more photos of the artists and will try to get them on facebook which isn't working well right now.

Tomorrow I must be at the marina for a TV spot..I am first at 5:45 am then Mimi and Neil take over the next four.  Then to unload the art supplies at home and back to the gallery to load up for Friday morning.  At home I'll get my entries framed and load the rest of the gear to be at the venue by about 8 am.  Friday is a very long day and ends when we finish moving the grids to the tent for a 7:30 am Saturday rehang.  Tent opens at 9 and we will have about 50 more pieces of art to fit in after the Quick Draw ends at noon.

by 2 am Sunday I will be ready for my big Margarita from Skyes a tradition well earned.

Busy time in sunny clime!!!

We are here in sunny FM and busily getting the last details done for Paint the Beach…Sandcastles to Shrimp Boats.  A plein air festival in Fort Myers Beach Fl.  This is the fifth year!!  And everything is getting bigger and better, with a lot of hard work on everyone’s part.  The artist roster has been full for about a month and we have a waiting list as well.  The Quick Draw event has about 30 adult artists and 27 students as well.  This will be the biggest QD ever!!

 

We kick off the event with a couple of days working with the students at Beach Elementary school, helping them to work on their own plein air paintings.  They will be displayed with the competition Nov. 7-9.  It is always fun to see what they create and also to eat a cafeteria lunch with the students afterward.  I ate with a table of kindergarten girls, dressed in pink..it was pink day, too fun!!

 

Still to be done, signs, goodie bags and getting my own gear together to paint.  I’m very rusty since I haven’t done much since Ireland in June, but it will be fun to be out there competing with them all.

 

If you are in the area be sure to come ….Nov. 7 is the gala collectors preview and awards party in the “propeller Lounge” or boat barn, where the lights will be strung on the props and the tunes will be lively with a jazz band and great food…and wonderful art.  Sat Nov. 8 is the Quick Draw competition in Times Square…2 hours to complete a painting.  They will move to the festival tent at Santini Plaza until Sunday at 2 when it all comes to an end with the FMBAA art raffle drawing.

 

And now, back to work……..

At the

Gellert spa  Budapest

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More photos from the last day

  "Buffet Room" at Opera

Notice the coke machine!!!

 

  Budapest Zoo entrance

  George at lunch on the lake

  Rooflines at the castle

  Budapest Opera House

  Theatre floor

FW: Photos from Budapest

 

 

Michele Barron Buelow

 

From: michele buelow [mailto:kzooartist@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2014 8:27 AM
To: 'kzooartist.paintnsail14@blogger.com'
Subject: Photos from Budapest

 

The castle, with it’s ornate style, small chapel  designed after Notre Dame and the moated grounds were beautiful.  I kept thinking how much the painters I know would love to spend a day painting throughout the grounds.  The photos will have to suffice.

 

As we walked around the park and the zoo entrance we were struck by the architecture there as well.  I imagine Dennis has a hundred photos from the inside.

 

As you can see the Opera House was incredibly gilded and painted.  (notice the coke machine..it should be gold)Most of the marble is faux finish but shines and is smooth to the touch so difficult to discern.  It is only slightly smaller than the one in Vienna. by the emperors decree it could not be larger.

 

This was the last of our touring and we rode the bus for the last time back to our hotel for a nice meal then early to bed.  The trip home is always grueling but movies on the plane helped distract us.  Our own comfortable beds were wonderful once we fell into them only to begin catching up the next day.  And thinking about where to go next!!!

 

 

Goodbye to Budapest

Waking up today we felt as if we had walked a million miles....perhaps we had considering the ground traversed in the past three days.  Budapest is a beautiful city and wonderful to  explore. Surprisingly it was never on a must see list for any of us but we all agree that everyone should visit..
Because we are using the hop on bus as transportation and the first pick up is at 10:10, we can have a leisurely start to the day.  But George awoke at 6:30 so our day began.  There was time to pack and I did a bit of shopping before catching the bus to Hero's square.

From there we found a castle and museum of architcture , the park and the zoo.  Dale wanted to see the zoo so we split up and agreed to meet at the opera house for the tour.

We began to walk and came upon thr lake with a lovely restaurant overlooking the water. It was quiet and peaceful after the city scene.  We enjoyed a lunch there then made our way back to the square to catch the bus to the Opera house.

The building style is baroque and renaissance revival.  A great deal of guilding, frescos,marble. Beautiful.  The tour itself could use better orchestration.

Back at the hotel we freshened up quickly the off to dinner in a nearby cafe.  It was very tinyand we were  the only patrons. The food was good but suffered in the translation.
Now to bed as we leave at 4 am.  I will post more photos when home.

Behind the Parliament budapest

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Budapest photos

Budapest adventures

Today was spent visiting the citadel atop a Buda hillside. The views from the top were spectacular despite the haze below. From there we hopped on the bus again and went below to see the Geller spa and baths. There are many hot springs here with baths, pools and healing treatments. We opted to just look. Inside the hotel and spa section it was beautiful with old decor.

By that time it was time for lunch and warm enough to leave our jackets at the hotel so we rode to the hill. A small cafe suited us and everyone had something we enjoyed. George said his stew with potato puffs was the best meal yet! For a sweet we went to a bakery where Dennis and Dale had big cream filled pastry and I had an apricot filled cookie. George walked around the block instead of eating.

Depositing coats and extras at the hotel we took the bus to the boat dock to ride to Margaret Island. The fountain that danced to music was fun to watch. We walked across the chain bridge again and down to Leopold Square. This square is surrounded by beautiful government buildings and the Parliament building. On to the waterside path which holds a memorial to the 600 people who were shot or just pushed into the Danube in 1944. There are bronze shoes scattered across the cobblestones to remind us...it is very moving to see and sad to recall.

We had walked a lot by this time so decided to call it a day. Back at our hotel we freshened up, had a glass of wine, then set off walking to our dinner place recommended by our cruise director who lives in Budapest. About 5 flights down the hill weren't too bad....it was the flights back up that did me in!!! My dinner of goulash soup and fresh caught trout was delicious.
Dale's onion soup was beautiful. George had a burger that was a huge meatball and Dennis had a ceasar salad.

Tomorrow is our last day so we will be up and out to see a few more sights in this beautiful city.

Parliament building

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Vienna photos

Budapest

Today we sailed into Budapest in the early morning.  It was a bit foggy but nice.  The city is beautiful.  We toured on the bus with stops at the Heros square and then on to castle hill for a look.  Our hotel is here and we will return on Sunda



After lunch aboard we walked to the huge market and through the streets. Dale had found info on a shop that sold items by new designers which we managed to locate.  I bought a couple necklaces and she found a one of a kind jacket. She bought th e necklace to match as well.  I lost an earing, perhaps there , so will trynto get back and look.



We packed after dinner for the move to our hotel.  We look forward to our days to come.

photos from Budapest

A day in Vienna

Our ship overnighted in Vienna as a switch to the usual routine.  After breakfast we went  on a tour via bus then walked around the St. Stephens square.  The cathederal was a beautiful structure comprised otf many stages and styles of architecture.  The stores around the square and for blocks around were very busy. We went back to the ship to eat then back out via subway to shop a bit. GELATO was good and people watching even better.

Along the Danube

We finished the day in Vienna with a concert. All day tomorrow will be spent here....lovely!

Melk

We arrived in Melk early today and rushed to breakfast before leaving for a tour of the Abby.  It is perched above the quaint town and was redone into baroque style, very lavishly.
There is a school for private students and only 30 monks living in the immense building. On special display were heavily encrusted gold relic holding altar ornaments. Later designs were silver plated with gold.  They had taken several rooms formerly used for royals visits and made a beautiful display of vestments, paintings and other special objects.

From there we sailed to Vienna through the Wachau valley.  Castles appear on the banks atop green mountains.  Spitz was quaint, picturesque and I wished we were stopping.  The weather is chilly and damp again so we are not outside but safely ensconced inside the panoramic lounge.  The light lunch was nice and allowed us to remain i  that room and just pop outside to take photos.

Dinner is early as we will take in a concert tonight.

Pasau to Linz....a beautiful day

Passau

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